What is the difference between a combo amp and a head and cabinet setup?

[DyersEve]

I'm fairly new to playing bass and looking to buy a new bass amp and was interested in the Acoustic line of amps. There are two that I saw in a guitar center catalog that I'm interested in. There is the B200 combo Acoustic amp and there is also the B200H head paired with the B115 cabinet. So pretty much my question is what differences/benefits are there between the two amps. They are both 200 watts and both have a 15" speaker. The only thing I can figure out that is different is that one is a cab and head and the other is a combo but the head and cab are more expensive.

[Munjibunga]

There's probably not a lot of difference in the sound between the two rigs. It just gets down to convenience, versatility and personal preference. If you buy the head and cab, you can use the head with another cab without having to lug the whole combo.

I have an Aquilar AG500-112C, which is a small combo. I also have a GS112NT exension cab. So I can take just the combo with its built-in 12, or I can go with two 12s. Or say you have the head, and you get the 115 cab. Later on, you buy a 210 cab. So now your gig choices are the 115, the 210, or both (I'm not recommending putting the 210 and the 115 together ... I've got to maintain what's left of my street cred).

So you need to think mostly about how you plan to use your rig. Do you want the versatility of the head and cab or the convenience of lugging one thing? Also, which is easier for you to transport?

[baron665]

They are most likely the same thing soundwise. Did you compare them? The head and cab setup allows you to either use different amp/cab combinations, where the combo is fixed to that unit. I believe that combo has an ext. speaker out, so you can add another cab.

EDIT plus what munji said

[bassguita079]

Its all about what YOU want. It depends on the type of gig you'll be playing...do you need a bigger cabinet but still love the tone of your Acoustic amp? Or maybe you got another head but not another cabinet. To me, the head-cabinet rig is easier to transport because it comes apart. With a combo amp, its all in one unit so you'll have to lug it all around. I prefer my peavey tour 400 amp head. However, buddies of mine have different cabs that I love the tone through. Its really flexible to get a head but its all up to you man.

[billfitzmaurice]

More often than not separates sound better. To keep size and weight down a combo cab usually is smaller than a separate, and smaller means less output in the lows and a tendency to boom.

[T-MOST]

Like someone said tone wise there is no difference. But you can mix and match heads with cabs creating different tonal arrays. These days you can get 500 watts out of a combo that might weigh 50lbs max! I love combos (especially now) and I was never into the mix and match thing.